They were founded in 1990 by songwriters Tim Gane (guitar, keyboards), formerly of the band McCarthy, and Laetitia Sadier (sometimes credited as Seaya Sadier; vocals, keyboards, trombone, guitar), who is from France and sings in both English and French.
Over the years, Gane and Sadier have enlisted a large number of other musicians to accompany them on stage and on record. The initial line-up featured Martin Kean, formerly of The Chills, on bass, and Joe Dilworth (from their Too Pure label-mates Th’ Faith Healers) on drums, with Russell Yates (of Moose) and Mick Conroy (ex-Modern English) also appearing at early live shows. In 1993 they recruited Andy Ramsay (drums), who has remained in the group line-up ever since, and Mary Hansen (vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion). Hansen’s distinctive backing vocals became an important aspect of the Stereolab sound, and she remained a regular feature of the line-up until her death in a cycling accident on December 9, 2002. Multi-instrumentalist Sean O’Hagan of The High Llamas has also been a frequent contributor, particularly with string, brass and keyboard arrangements to the band’s studio albums. John McEntire (Tortoise) has also contributed keyboard, electronic effects and studio help over the years. Other members have come and (in some cases) gone over the years, including Duncan Brown, Dave Pajo (from Tortoise), Richard Harrison and Simon Johns (all bass); Gina Morris (vocals); and Katharine Gifford and Morgane Lhote (both on keyboards).
Early Stereolab material displayed a heavy influence of krautrock sounds, particularly Neu! and Faust, characteristically relying on droning, repetitive guitar or keyboard riffs, with or without vocals. Early heavy use of distorted Farfisa combo-organ sounds were also reminiscent of early recordings by The Modern Lovers. As the band developed, they incorporated new instrumentation, and an increasingly complex sense of rhythm and structure, frequently making use of irregular time signatures as well as unorthodox chord progressions and melodic intervals. The band has often made copious use of female backing vocal lines.
Lyrically, Stereolab’s music is quirky (song titles evoke memories of 1950s science fiction stories, and are often borrowed directly from old films and records of the period, but have nothing to do with the song’s content), but highly politically and philosophically charged, sometimes with a decidedly Surrealist or Situationist bent. (Sadier notes the libertarian Marxist theoretician Cornelius Castoriadis as a particular inspiration.) Sadier’s lyrics, in both French and English, often read like highly condensed sociological texts, standing in deliberate and distinct counterpoint to the lush hedonic pop sound of the band. A prime example would be “Ping Pong” from Mars Audiac Quintet, which is an explicit restating of Marxist theory concerning the relationship between economic cycles and war cycles.
Stereolab earned a minor place in the Britpop movement, with their sound proving influential to bands like Blur: occasional keyboard-driven b-sides and singer Damon Albarn’s love of retro keyboards showed the influence, and in recognition Laetitia Sadier was invited to provide vocals on “To The End” from Parklife.
Despite the band’s fan base and critical acclaim, Stereolab has not achieved high levels of financial or popular success. On June 7, 2004, suits at the Warner Music label (to whom the band was signed in the U.S.) announced they were dropping Stereolab in response to the poor sales (40,000 to that date) of Margerine Eclipse. This was part of an ongoing effort by Warner to cut costs; The Breeders and Third Eye Blind were also dropped from the label for this reason. Laetitia Sadier is now also a member of Monade, which is essentially expressive of her own singular musical goals.
Visionary Road Maps
Stereolab Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of a "quiet"
Consciousness it is aiming
To a new state
....we've resigned
Visionary
Through "rejoin" the promised land
Contemporary
Instant...
....
Of self-interest
Reveries are...
All-embracing
Rolling along from the...
This is a plan to live for
....
This is a plan to act for
Floating away...
Each morning eat for breakfast
The lyrics of Stereolab's "Visionary Road Maps" present a reflection on the human condition and the decisions we make in life. The song's opening lines suggest that our consciousness is often quiet, passive, and perhaps aimless as it seeks a new state of being. This desire for change is expressed through the phrase "we've resigned," emphasizing the need to leave behind established routines and ways of thinking to embrace something new. When the song speaks of being visionary, this is not in a literal sense, but rather as a way of approaching the world with new insights and perspectives. Through this vision, we can "rejoin" the promised land, a metaphor for a better, more fulfilling future.
The lyrics also comment on the dangers of self-interest and the need for a more inclusive approach to life and society. Reveries, or daydreams, are described as often being focused on personal gain or satisfaction, but the song encourages a more all-embracing perspective. Rather than pursuing only our own needs, we should be rolling along with others towards a shared goal. This is "a plan to live for" and "a plan to act for." In the end, the lyrics suggest that perhaps the key to living a visionary life is to start each day with a humble appreciation for the simple things, symbolized by the line "Each morning eat for breakfast."
Line by Line Meaning
Decisions....
Choices we make...
Of a "quiet"
Of a calm and still...
Consciousness it is aiming
Our mind is set toward a particular direction...
To a new state
To a different situation or circumstance...
....we've resigned
We have accepted...
Visionary
Imaginative and creative...
Through "rejoin" the promised land
By returning to our original and ideal state...
Contemporary
Modern and current...
...
No meaning given...
Instant...
Immediate and momentary...
....
No meaning given...
Of self-interest
Motivated by personal gain...
Reveries are...
Daydreams and fantasies are...
All-embracing
Including everything and everyone...
Rolling along from the...
Continuing forward from the previous stages...
This is a plan to live for
This is a purpose worth living for...
....
No meaning given...
This is a plan to act for
This is a goal worth working towards...
Floating away...
Drifting off...
Each morning eat for breakfast
No clear meaning, could be interpreted literally or metaphorically...
Contributed by Bailey Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.